AJC.com > Blogs > Get Schooled > Archives > 2005 > March > 17 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USAP Follow Up and Block Scheduling
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Several metro Atlanta school districts (Fulton, Forsyth and Douglas) responded to my query about AP courses and how they teach them in schools with a 4 X 4 block schedule. There are a variety of ways districts handle it, none of which include creating phantom courses as DeKalb did.
*Teach AP courses on alternate days for the entire year.
*Squeeze the AP course into one semester (90 minutes per class instead of 50 minutes). If the course is taught in the fall semester, the teacher holds review sessions in the spring leading up to the administering of the AP exam.
*Pair two AP courses together and teach each one for the entire year during a single block.
School districts agree the 4 X 4 block schedule poses some challenges with AP courses. But they have found ways to offer the courses and have the block schedule. There are some disadvantages for AP students. If they want to take an AP course that is spread over two semesters, that would cost them a course they may also want to take. Also, they may have to take the course the AP course is paired with, even if they hadn’t planned to.
Administrators say they have asked the College Board to give AP exams after the fall semester, but that would cost money and so far it has not come to pass. No one I spoke with saw this issue as a reason to abandon the 4 X 4 block.
Speaking of block scheduling, do you love it or hate it? I see it as merely a scheduling issue, with pros and cons. I don’t see it as a catalyst for rapid school improvement nor do I see it as something that should hinder students. It seems a matter of preference.
Comments
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By Jeff Levene
March 17, 2005 03:56 PM | Link to this
In Gwinnett, the most demanding AP courses are taught for a full block, all year. This does reduce the number of courses a student can take, but it also greatly improves their chances of doing very well on the test.
By Ron Kidd
March 18, 2005 10:31 AM | Link to this
There is no evidence that block scheduling improves learning. There are no recognized studies that conclusively shows there is any increase in learning under block scheduling. There is ample evidence that it improves grades because the teacher covers only 1/2 of the material for the entire course in half again the time frame under the premise that “less is more” - hogwash; less is less! There is evidence it can retard learning as learning is a function of mental synthesis. This takes time to occur. Learning is not a function of how long you are sitting in a classroom. When block scheduled schools are compared to traditional 5 period day school, the test scores of the block scheduled schools are lower in math and science.
In a regular school setting a teacher instructs 5 classes per year. Under block scheduling, the teacher instructs 6 classes per year. In effect, the school system doesn’t have to hire as many teachers. Block scheduling is about saving the school system money, not increasing the learning of their students.
Notice: colleges, who were on the quarter system, have now gone to the semester system. They have realized that it is better to extend the length of the time between instruction and testing. What have we done in the high schools, you ask? Just the reverse. Apparently we think we’re smarter than the colleges.
By Molly Bradshaw
March 18, 2005 03:18 PM | Link to this
AP students on block scheduling face a huge challenge if their course is only taught fall semester compared to students on a normal schedule, but block students also have a huge advantage if their class is taught over a whole year. Pairing AP classes meant to compliment one another seems logical (and give the student the choice to take one or both), and if the same teacher teaches both courses, why not create a lesson plan to incorporate both subjects with a month of review before the tests(usually in April or May)? Also, schools should consider teaching classes like AP Studio Art first semester so they have all of second semester to finish their portfolios (which aren’t due till spring anyway).